‘I Am a Man and a Brother’

Interesting display and trail at the V&A Wedgwood Collection at the World of Wedgwood examining Josiah Wedgwood’s anti-slavery medallion designed to promote and bring about the abolition of the Slave Trade.

The display combined archive material from the collection with modern ceramic medallions by students from Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College reacting to the original. It’s a piece I fond of and I would love to own one. I am fascinating by how quickly the image spread and its impact.

A trail round the main displays provided the context for the medallion and the wider history of the abolition and anti-racism. This trail was subtle giving insights without feeling too preaching. It led your eye from an object to a commentary which you might not have thought was relevant to the narrative.

Closes January 2022

 

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